Offering 1-on-1 mentorship for grad school applications in CS, PL/FM, and broader STEM fields

Hi everyone,

I’m opening up a mentorship program for students applying to graduate school in Computer Science, especially in the areas of Programming Languages and Formal Methods. While that’s my home field, I believe I can also help more broadly across other STEM disciplines, particularly Math and Physics, since many of the challenges in applications, advisor selection, and navigating departments are shared across fields.

The grad school application process can feel overwhelming—writing CVs, statements of purpose, cover letters, and (depending on where you apply) preparing for the GRE or TOEFL. On top of that, there’s the challenge of finding the right advisor and department. Getting accepted somewhere is one thing; finding a place where you’ll actually thrive is another.

What I offer in this mentorship:

• Reviewing and improving CVs, statements, and cover letters
• Strategizing about which schools and labs are a good fit
• Light GRE/TOEFL prep (I don’t tutor the exams, but I’ll help with planning, resources, and accountability)
• Training on how to evaluate potential advisors: asking about advising style, talking to current students, checking department culture, stipend/living conditions, and overall environment

I also want to emphasize something important: I’ve personally struggled with mental health during my own graduate studies, and I know how much this can affect success and well-being. My mentorship is strongly tailored to helping students find an advisor and institution that align not only with their research interests and goals, but also with their mental health and long-term sustainability. Academia can sometimes be a very toxic environment, for many reasons I won’t go into here, but being aware of this and choosing wisely makes a huge difference.

About me:

• 10+ years of experience in Programming Languages and Formal Methods (academia + industry)
• 7+ years teaching and mentoring hundreds of students
• ACM Best Teaching Assistant Award at Purdue University (2018)
• Host of the Type Theory Forall podcast for 5 years, connecting me with researchers across PL, Type Theory, and Formal Methods worldwide
• SIGPLAN-M Mentor since the program’s inception

Other subreddits have commented that I should disclose pricing up front, so here it is: the mentorship costs $100 per session. The number of sessions depends on the student—some prefer once a week, others every two weeks, or less frequently. In our free introductory meeting, I share the specifics I see for each person’s situation, and the student can decide if this investment makes sense for them.

If this sounds interesting, you can book a free initial meeting here:
👉 https://www.typetheoryforall.com/mentorship